A recent Supreme Court ruling sparking a crackdown on homeless encampments in California cities has ignited a contentious debate on the balance between enforcement and human rights.
At a Glance
- Supreme Court ruling enables fines and arrests for street sleeping; enforcement surges in California.
- The decision overturns six years of legal protections for homeless individuals.
- Critics argue it exacerbates the homelessness crisis and demand more housing solutions.
- Governor Newsom supports the ruling and urges compassionate management of encampments.
Ruling Spurs Action
California officials are intensifying efforts to address homelessness after a June Supreme Court decision gave cities the authority to enforce fines and make arrests for public camping. This has led to widespread encampment cleanups, notably in Los Angeles, where homelessness visibility is high.
The U.S. Supreme Court today granted cities more power to arrest, cite and fine people who sleep outside in public places — overturning six years of legal protections for homeless residents in California and other western states.
The ruling overturned a previous decision that protected homeless individuals in Grants Pass, Oregon. Now, cities can use existing ordinances or pass new ones to remove homeless encampments even when no alternative shelters are available.
Today’s Supreme Court ruling in Grants Pass provides state and local officials the definitive authority to implement and enforce policies to clear unsafe homeless encampments and helps us deliver common-sense measures to protect the safety and well-being of our communities. pic.twitter.com/dNwMf6zhIG
— California Governor (@CAgovernor) June 28, 2024
Mixed Reactions and Criticism
While Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed the decision, calling on local governments to adopt compassionate policies, others raised concerns. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass emphasized that criminalizing homelessness isn’t a viable solution and highlighted the need for housing and support services.
Critics of the new approach, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, argue that criminalizing homelessness is not a viable solution and that more housing and supportive services are needed.
Jennifer Friedenbach, of the Coalition on Homelessness, expressed fears that the ruling might exacerbate the crisis by stripping away protections for those in encampments. The financial burden on taxpayers is another concern, with chronic homelessness costing an average of $35,578 per individual annually.
Local governments now have the tools they need to address the decades-long issue of homelessness.
Today, we are issuing an executive order that directs state agencies & urges locals to address encampments while connecting those living in them to housing & supportive services. pic.twitter.com/z9dYwAct5w
— California Governor (@CAgovernor) July 25, 2024
Developing Housing Solutions
Governor Newsom’s response includes signing laws to help unhoused individuals find shelter in hotels and accelerate the building of junior accessory dwelling units. Nonetheless, the existing shelter and transitional housing capacity remain inadequate for the state’s homeless population, which numbers over 181,000.
Homelessness is complex,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, writing for the majority. “Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it. At bottom, the question this case presents is whether the Eighth Amendment grants federal judges primary responsibility for assessing those causes and devising those responses. It does not.
San Francisco and San Diego have joined in the crackdown, with Mayor London Breed taking a staunch approach amid reelection pressures. The debates continue as cities struggle between enforcement measures and finding humane, long-term housing solutions.
